OCTAVIA SPENCER TO RETURN AS “MA”: BLUMHOUSE DEVELOPING SEQUEL: "As part of its first-ever The Business of Fear event examining the growing power of horror subgenres, Blumhouse has announced that Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer will return as Ma in a sequel to the hit Blumhouse revenge horror film. The original 2019 film, directed by Tate Taylor, earned more than $60 million in global box office, but also spawned hundreds of memes, with audiences embracing Ma as an iconic horror character for the ages. The fandom helped make Ma a phenomenon at Blumhouse’s recent Halfway to Halloween festival.
“Ma has proven to be a social phenomenon since its release in 2019, with fans eagerly embracing the film and Octavia’s iconic performance as Ma. Ma likes to say ‘don’t make me drink alone,’ so we’re thrilled Octavia will join us again for a second round,” said Jason Blum, Founder/CEO, Blumhouse.
The Revenge subgenre is one of 24 thriving subgenres Blumhouse identified in a research study last year that aimed to assess the state of horror. Additional examples include Survival, Slasher, Psychological Thriller, and more. During its first The Business of Fear event today, Blumhouse CEO/Founder Jason Blum and President Abhijay Prakash, Atomic Monster Director of Creative Development Alayna Glasthal, and horror analyst/author Stephen Follows spoke about the ways in which horror has grown and expanded in recent years, with subgenres an important way to entertain the diverse tastes of its audience.
*The 2024 Genre Categorization Survey (2,000 respondents) aimed to classify 100 prominent horror films from the past 50 years into sub-genres. This research was conducted by Sage Outcomes and commissioned by Blumhouse in July 2024."
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Ti West's THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL Steelcase Blu-ray Collector's Edition: "One of the best reviewed horror films of all time, Ti West’s THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL is being released as a special collector’s edition Blu-ray steelcase on June 3, 2025. Becoming an instant cult classic upon its release in 2009, THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL collector’s edition steelcase will include all new bonus features. The release will be available exclusively at Dark Sky Selects https://selects.darkskyfilms.
Upon its initial release in October 2009, THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL was hailed by critics everywhere. The New York Times’ Manohla Dargis said West “has come up with a period pastiche that mimics the low-res vibe and look of early-1980s horror. And he’s done it with more shiver than splat. … Mr. West doesn’t just rise to the horrific occasion, he also revels in its simplicity, squeezing chills by turning on the lights, squeaking the floorboards and, in a heart-thumping scene, sending his heroine up the unavoidable stairs. … After years of vivisectionist splatter, here is a horror movie with real shivers.”
A creaky Victorian mansion, a graveyard, a lunar eclipse and a pretty college girl: filmmaker West brought back all the elements of classic ’80s horror – with a modern twist – in THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL. West (The Innkeepers, Pearl, X) set his tale in the early 1980s and created an old-school atmosphere of dread and “satanic panic” that rivaled the best of that classic era of shockers.
The film has a classic, deceptively simple set-up. Samantha (Jocelin Donahue, Dead Awake, The Last Stop in Yuma County), a pretty college sophomore, needs to come up with extra cash to pay the rent in her new apartment. She accepts a babysitting job from Mr. Ulman (Tom Noonan, Manhunter, Robocop 2), a tall, creepy man who lives in a gloomy old house near a cemetery in the woods. Samantha soon learns that Ulman and his wife (Mary Woronov, The Devil’s Rejects, Eating Raoul) don’t even have a child, but Ulman explains that he simply needs Samantha to keep an eye on his elderly mother-in-law while he and his wife go out to celebrate the lunar eclipse. Also in the cast is the then-rising indie It Girl, Greta Gerwig."
The new collector’s edition will include the following bonus features:
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HOUSE ON EDEN Trailer: "HOUSE ON EDEN is the feature debut from content creators Kris Collins (“Ginormo”) and Celina Myers (Would You Kill for Me? The Mary Bailey Story). The duo, best known as KallMeKris and CelinaSpookyBoo on social media, have collectively amassed a dedicated audience of over 70 million followers. The film is written and directed by Collins, who also stars alongside Myers and Jason-Christopher Mayer (Nobody Gets Out Alive)."
SYNOPSIS: "Paranormal investigators Kris, Celina, and their videographer Jay expect the usual scares when they set out on their latest case. But after being mysteriously rerouted to an abandoned house deep in the woods, they find themselves facing a force unlike anything they’ve encountered before. As the night spirals into chaos, missing crew members and eerie phenomena hint at an ancient, malevolent presence watching their every move."
EXCLUSIVELY IN THEATERS ON JULY 25, 2025
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ABIGAIL BEFORE BEATRICE: "Filmmaker Cassie Keet (Scream Therapy) brings her talents as a horror filmmaker to Chattanooga with her second feature Abigail Before Beatrice. The slow-burn psychological thriller will bow as part of the virtual lineup beginning June 20 through June 28, immediately following a June 19 world premiere at the Bentonville Film Festival.
Abigail Before Beatrice stars Olivia Taylor Dudley (Touch Me, "The Magicians") as a woman whose quiet existence is rocked by a visitor from her past (Riley Dandy, Things Will Be Different, Christmas Bloody Christmas). The duo lead a cast which includes Shayn Herndon, Jordan Lane Shappell, and Molly Jackson.
Abigail Before Beatrice was written and directed by Cassie Keet in her sophomore outing as a director, following her 2023 horror comedy Scream Therapy. Benjamin Dunn produced for Little Black Dog Entertainment, with Mindy Van Kuren for Nanu Pictures, alongside New Harvest Creative.
As she prepares to share the film with the world, Keet said, "The character of Beatrice is extremely close to my heart. Her story is about what happens when you find yourself on the other side of a toxic relationship, unable to move on because you can't let go. I believe everyone can relate to her intense desire for love, acceptance, and community. I couldn't have made Abigail Before Beatrice without my amazingly talented Los Angeles friends, and I'm so honored that I was able to film in my home state of Arkansas."
Abigail Before Beatrice at Chattanooga:
Festival & Streaming Details
Streaming Friday, June 20, 2025 - Saturday, June 28, 2025
Synopsis: "An isolated woman is confronted by her past when a fellow former cult member reaches out with news that their leader has been released from prison early. What happens when your search for love and acceptance leads you to a toxic relationship? How do you move on when you can’t let go?"
After spending more than 10 years as a consultant in the tech and entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his interest in horror and sci-fi. Since then, it has grown into an online magazine with a staff of writers that provide daily news, reviews, interviews, and special features.
As the Editor-in-Chief of Daily Dead, Jonathan is responsible for bringing the latest horror news to millions of readers from around the world. He is also consulted with as an expert on zombies in entertainment and pop culture, providing analyses of the zombie sub-genre to newspapers, radio stations, and convention attendees.
After spending more than 10 years as a consultant in the tech and entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his interest in horror and sci-fi. Since then, it has grown into an online magazine with a staff of writers that provide daily news, reviews, interviews, and special features.
As the Editor-in-Chief of Daily Dead, Jonathan is responsible for bringing the latest horror news to millions of readers from around the world. He is also consulted with as an expert on zombies in entertainment and pop culture, providing analyses of the zombie sub-genre to newspapers, radio stations, and convention attendees.
